1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for providing media programs for consumption by consumer, and in particular to a system and method for managing the provision of media programs directly from content providers.
2. Description of the Related Art
The provision of media programs to consuming users has been the subject of continuing improvement and change. Initially, media programs were provided by local broadcast television services from a limited number of sources to televisions in consumer households. These media programs were few in number (as the radio frequency bandwidth allocated for this purpose was limited), and media programs were only available from local transmitters, which may be operated by network affiliates of national television services or local television providers.
Later, media programs became available from service providers using devices known as set-top-boxes (STBs) in customer's homes. Such service providers include, for example, DIRECTV, DISH, and TIME WARNER CABLE. These service providers provide media programs ultimately obtained from content providers (such as SHOWTIME, HBO, DISCOVERY, and FX). Typically, the service provider charges it's subscribers a fee, and uses these fees to pay the content providers providing the underlying media programs.
With the advent of video compression technology and widespread availability of high-bandwidth transmission of data via the Internet (even wireless transmission to mobile devices such as smartphones), media distribution channels evolved to include transmission by the Internet. Such distribution can be provided according to a number of different service paradigms.